Cover feeding and folding mecha



(77 F. WRIGHT May 2, 1939.

COVER FEEDING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR BOOKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 50,1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 2, 9 c. F. WRIGHT 2,156,558

COVER FEEDING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR BOOKING MACHINES y 2, 1939- c,F. WRIGHT 2,156,558

COVER FEEDING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR BOOKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 30,'19s"! 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES COVER FEEDINGAND FOLDING IWECHA- NISM FOR. BOOKING MACHINES Charles F. Wright, Akron,Ohio, assignor to The Diamond Match Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application October 30, 1937, Serial No. 171,890

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for folding flexible covers andintroducing them in the travelling cover carriers of booking machinesand the like, having reference more particularly to match bookingmachines, such, for example, as disclosed in United States Patent No.1,042,472, dated October 29, 1912.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and efiicient mechanismwhereby the rapid and accurate folding of the covers and the insertionof the folded covers in the links of the carrier can be accomplished.

To this end the invention comprises novel features of construction andcombinations of parts which in a preferred embodiment of the inventionwill be hereinafter described; the scope of the invention beingexpressed in the appended claims.

In the annexed drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of amatch booking machine equipped with cover supplying, folding andinserting mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, as on the line 22 of Fig. 1,showing the cover suction head in vertical position adjacent thecarrier; the folding and insertingv member being at the limit of itsacting or inserting stroke, and the folded cover strip as inserted inthe carrier.

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the suction head in raised positionadjacent the cover supply hopper; the folding and inserting member beingrepresented as retracted from the carrier, and the position of thesuction head with a cover supported thereby being indicated in dottedlines during its subsequent movement to vertical position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the lower portion of the suctionhead in vertical position adjacent the carrier, and the acting end ofthe folding and inserting member as co-acting with the complementaryfolding members to fold a cover preparatory to its insertion in thecarrier.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the cover as folded and inserted in thecarrier.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a portion of the supportingframe including the table II of a match booking machine; I2 designates apower-driven cam shaft which extends longitudinally of the frame andbeneath the table, and I3 designates a portion of an endless carrierconstituting a form of cover-receiving element which is intermittentlyactuated by and from the camshaft through suitable gearing. The

carrier which l have selected for illustration comprises an endlesschain of pocketed links adapted to travel in a guide trough I4 which issuitably formed on or supported at the rear of the table. The parts justmentioned need no detailed description, as they are disclosed in PatentNo. 1,042,472 aforesaid.

The mechanism herein shown as a form of embodiment of my invention isdesigned to act upon succeeding pairs of covers C in a mannersimultaneously to fold the covers of each pair and insert them in foldedcondition in two spaced links of the carrier. This mechanism embodiestwo spaced cover folding and inserting elements, each comprising a plateI which is reciprocative transversely of the cover receiving end of thetable and in timed relation to the intermittent travel of the carrier.The respective plates I5 are carried by reciprocativeblockslfi, each ofwhich is slidably' fitted in guides IT on the table.

The blocks are pivotally connected by links l8 to a pair of rock-arms I9rising from a sleeve 20 loose on a stationary shaft 2| located beneaththe table. The two arms I9 are connected by a tie rod 22 which ispivotally connected by means of a link 23 with the upper end of a lever24, whereof the lower end is fulcrumed in a stationary base bracket 25.On the lever 24 is a lateral roll 26 which is operatively fitted in therace of a face cam 2'1 fast on the shaft I2. The contour 3 of the raceis such that during a partial rotation of the cam' 21 the blocks I6 andtheir respective plates I5 are reciprocated toward and from the carrier,and in the remainder of the rotation the blocks and plates are at restat the limit of 5,

supported by a suitable upstanding bracket 29 1.

on the table, and which hopper is preferably inclined in relationthereto, as shown. Each of the hoppers is of proper size to contain astack of covers (C), whereof the lowermost cover is sustained at itsends above and in angular relation to the path ofthe adjacent plate [5.The conic points of screws 30 which are threaded in plates on the wallsof the hopper afford a simple and eflicient meansfor supporting thelowermost 5 cover, yet permitting it to be bodily withdrawn, flatwise,from the hopper, as will now be described. 'Journaled in thetwo brackets29 is a hollow rock-shaft 3|, the interior of which is connected at oneend by means of a pipe 32 with a suitable 'air exhaust line.

Fixed to the rock-shaft and in communication with the interior thereofare two corresponding suction heads 33 which by actuation of therock-shaft are together swung in paths between the bottoms of therespective hoppers and the forward side of the carrier 13 in such mannerthat the lowermostinclined cover in each hopper is bodily withdrawn bysuction from the hopper and positioned vertically with the lower or freeend of the cover depending in front of and in proximity to a link of thecarrier, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

As illustrated each of the suction heads 33 comprises a body having atits upper end a hub 34 through which the rock-shaft 3| extends andhaving also a lower chambered face portion 35, the mouth of which iscovered by a perforated plate 36. By actuation of the head this plate ismoved flatwise against the opposing cover in the hopper and swungdownwardly and rearwardly therefrom. The chamber (3?) of the portion 35communicates by means of a duct 38 with a port 39 in the hollow shaft3!, thus providing for: the exhausting of airfrom the suction chamber.The lower end of the body 33 has depending side lugs 40 in and betweenwhich is freely mounted a roll 4! which, when the suction head is swungrearward to vertical position, lies adjacent the front of a carrier linkand immediately above and parallel with the path of the proximatefolding and inserting plate l5. Underlying the path of the acting end ofeach of the 7 plates I is a similar roll 42 which is mounted in abracket 43 permanently fastened to the forward side of the guide troughHi. When the suction head is in its vertical position adjacent thecarrier, as seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the two rolls are'in spacedparallel relation, and hence the lower or free end of the coverborne bythe head depends in front of the rolls and across the horizontal path ofthe acting end of the folding and inserting plate l5. Consequently suchend in the rearward or acting stroke of the plate 15 impinges againstthe depending portion of the cover and forces it through the spacebetween the two rolls and into the adjacent link of the carrier, thustransversely folding such portion and inserting it in the carrier link.In this operation the roll 4 l bears upon the cover and maintains itfiatwise upon the associated plate 15. In the forward or return strokeof such plate the suction head is swung forward and upward to positionits suction chamber in close relation to the next succeeding lowermostcover in the hQpper preparatory to the transference of the cover tovertical position with its lower end depending adjacent the carrier.

The means herein illustrated for actuating the hollow rock-shaft 3| andthe two suction heads 33 comprises an arm 43 fast on one end of theshaft, which arm is pivotally connected by means of a link 64 with theupper end of the longer arm 45 of an angle lever loose on the stationaryshaft 2|. The other arm 46 of the lever has a lateral roll 41 which iscperatively fitted in the race of a face cam 48 fast on the power-drivenshaft l2; the contour of the race being such in respect to that of thecam 21 that the suction heads are operlimited to the particularexemplifying form thereof herein disclosed, as the mechanism may bemodified within the principle of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

I claim 1. In a match booking machine and the like having a travellingcarrier, means for supporting a stack of covers, an oscillatory elementfor removing each succeeding cover from the stack and positioning itvertically with a free depending end laterally adjacent the carrier, andmeans for transversely folding the segregated cover and inserting thefolded cover in the carrier, said means including a member reciprocativeinto and from the carrier in a plane intersecting that of the dependingend of the cover, and including also a stationary member in spacedparallel relation to the lower portion of said element when the latteris in vertical position, thus providing a folding space between whichthe said reciprocative member and the opposing cover portion travel intheir passage to the carrier.

2. In a match booking machine and the like having a travelling carrier,means for supporting a stack of covers, an oscillatory element forremoving each succeeding cover from the stack and positioning itvertically with a free depending end laterally adjacent the carrier, andmeans for transversely folding the segregated cover and inserting thefolded cover in the carrier, said means including a member reciprocativeinto and from the carrier in a plane intersecting that of the dependingend of the cover, and including also parallel folder rolls providing afolder space between which the reciprocative member andv the opposingcover portion travel in thei'r"-'p" age to the carrier, one of saidrolls mounted on the oscillatory member and the other roll permanentlysupported adjacent the carrier.

3. In a match booking machine and the like having a travelling carrier,means for supporting a stack of covers, an oscillatory suction elementfor removing each succeeding cover from the stack and positioning itvertically with a free depending end laterally adjacent the carrier, andmeans for transversely folding the segregated cover and inserting thefolded cover in the carrier, said means including a member reciprocativeinto and from the carrier in a plane intersecting that of the dependingend of the cover, and including also a stationary member in spacedparallel relation to the lower portion of said element when the latteris in vertical position, thus providing a folding space between whichthe said reciprocative member and the opposing cover portion travel intheir passage to the carrier.

4. In a match booking machine and the like having a travelling carrier,means for supporting a stack of covers, an oscillatory suction elementfor removing each succeeding cover from the stack and positioning itvertically with a free de pending end laterally adjacent the carrier,and means for transversely folding the segregated cover and insertingthe folded cover in the carrier, said means including a memberreciprocative into and from the carrier in a plane intersecting that ofthe depending end of the cover, and including also parallel folder rollsproviding a folder space between which the reciprocative member and theopposing cover portion travel in their passage to the carrier, one ofsaid rolls mounted on the oscillatory member and the other rollpermanently supported adjacent the carrier.

CHARLES F. WRIGHT.

